Adjustable holder



July 14, 1953 w. R. MEREDl'fl-l 2,645 441 ADJUSTABLE HOLDER Filed Sept.9. 1948 5y 7 3. INVENTOR. Wilbur E. Meredizh Patented July 14, 1953QUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Wilbur R. Meredith, South Euclid, OhioApplication September 9, 1948, Serial No. 48,389

2 Claims. (01. 248-48) 1 V This invention relates to an adjustableholder and more particularly to a device for adJustably supporting aChristmas tree, flag pole, sign post or like article.

It is among the objects of the present invention" to provide a devicefor supporting Christmas trees and like articles which is simple inconstruction, economical to manufacture andmay be easily and readilyassembled and disassembled; Another object of the invention is toprovide an adjustable device for supporting a Christmas tree or likearticle which embodies means for compensating for irregular supportingsurface so that the article may be held me substantially verticalposition. A further object of the invention is to provide a device forsupporting a Christmas tree or similar article which readily adaptsitself larly enumerated will become more apparent as the nature of theinvention is better understood from the following detailed descriptiontaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein likereference characters denote corre sponding parts and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device made in accordance with thisinvention showing a portion of the trunk of a Christmas tree supportedthereby,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device,

Figure 3 is a side elevational view, I

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure3 Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail taken on the line 5-5 ofFigure 2,

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the side braces, and

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the base members. I

With reference to the accompanying drawing the numeral I0 broadlyindicates a device made in accordance with the present invention forsupporting a Christmas tree A or other Slmllar article comprising aplurality of elongated side braces I I and base members I 2. Ipreferably 2 i employ three base members I2 which are identical, one ofsaid members being shown in Figure 7 of the drawings. Each of the basemembers I2 is formed of sheet material, preferably'metal, whichislongitudinally channeled as at I13 intermediate its ends in order toreinforce it and permit the use of lighter gauge material. One end ofthe base member I2 is suitably flattened to form an end portion I4 whichis apertured at I5 to facilitate the reception of a fastener I6 forsecuring the base members to the lower surface of the article A.Adjacent the outer end thereof the base member I2 is of longitudinallyspaced apertures I8.

Associated with each base member I2 is a side brace I I which is bestshown in Figure 6 of the drawings. The side brace II is made of sheetmetal and preferably shorter and of less width than the base member I2,being longitudinally channeled at H for reinforcement. The upper end ofthe brace I I is'bent to form an angulated portion I9 which is aperturedat 20 for the reception of fastening means 2! for securing the portionI9 to the outer surface of the article at a point spaced from the lowerend thereof. The opposed end of the side brace II is suitably cut awayto form an outwardly extending tongue 22 which is adapted to engage theapertures I8 when the device is in assembled relation with respect to anarticle. I

In using the device of the present invention to support a Christmas treeor similar article a plurality of base members I2, preferably three ormore, are assembled with the aperture I5 of the end portions I4 inalignment. A suitable fastening means I6 is inserted through theapertures I 5 and secured to the bottom of the article A therebyattaching the base members firmly to the base of the article. Theportions I9 of side braces II corresponding in number to the num- 'berof the base members I2 are secured in spaced relation about thecircumference of the article at a point spaced from the lower end of thearticle.

The point on the article at which the upper end of brace II is securedis determined by first inserting the tongue 22 in the most appropriateaperture I8 on base member I2 and springing the outer end of member I2slightly downwardly so that the angle between the base member and thevertical axis of the article is greater'than ninety degrees. After theportion I9 of the brace has been secured to the tree, the tongue 22 maybe withdrawn from such aperture I8 of the base member I2 and moved alongthe memprovided with a plurality ber l2 and inserted in an appropriateaperture so that the support engaging end of the base member ispositioned with respect to said supporting surface as to support thearticle with its'axis in a vertical position. Thus moving the brace Hincreases or decreases the angle between the vertical axis of thearticle and base member l2 and raises or lowers the bottom of thearticle above the supporting surface and the plane through the outerends of the base members.

Having thus described my invention what I desire to obtain by LettersPatent is defined in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. 'A holder for supporting a Christmas tree or similar article upon asupporting surface end surface thereof, said brace members adapted to besecured to the article in substantially the same horizontal plane, saidbrace member hav ing a tongue formed at one end thereof for engagementwithan aperture of said base member so that the angle between the basemember and the article is greater than ninety degrees and the outerextremity of the base member will be depressed below a horizontal planethrough the lower end surface of the article, said base members andbrace members being so arranged with respect to the article supportedthereby that the free ends of the base members can be adjusteduniversally to support the article on an irregular supporting surface,and wherein compressive force is exerted between the point of engagementof the brace member with the article and its associated base member tomaintain the article in a fixed upright position.

2. A holder for supporting a Christmas tree or similar article upon asupporting surface including a plurality of independently adjustableangularly disposed semi-rigid base members having aligned openingsthrough which means extend for securing the same to the bottom surfaceof the article supported by the holder, said base members having aplurality of longitudinally spaced apertures adjacent the free endsthereof, and semi-rigid brace members arranged to have their upper endssecured to the article in substantially the same horizontal plane at apoint spaced from the lower end thereof such that upon engagement of thefree end of the brace with the apertures of its associated base memberthe angle between the base member and the longitudinal axis of thearticle is greater than 90 degrees whereby the article will be supportedwith its lower end spaced from the supporting surface, said base memberand brace members being so arranged that the free ends of the basemembers can be adjusted universally to support the article .on anirregular supporting surface, each of said brace members exertingcompressive force between the point of engagement with its associatedbase member and V the point of attachment to the article whereby thelongitudinal axis of the article is maintained in a fixed verticalposition, said compressive force being independent of any upwarddirecting force from the supporting surface.

WILBUR R. MEREDITH.

, References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber Name Date 808,308 Riek Oct. 31, 1905 1,319,481 Mahon Oct. 21,1919 1,540,025 Le May June 2, 1925 1,653,225 OLoughlin Dec. 20, 19271,912,054 Wright May 30, 1933 2,410,227 Matthews Oct. 29, 1946 2,416,435Carlberg Feb. 25, 1947 2,518,421 Freel Aug, 8, 1950 2,561,693 Frye July24, 1951

